An alarming jump in 'job losers'

The number of workers who said they lost their job in August was the highest in nearly three years -- one of many concerns in a weak job report.

The Labor Department's August jobs report showed employers added 169,000 jobs in the month. But that's a net number that reflects the balance between those hired and those let go.

In the part of the separate report that surveys households, respondents are broken into three categories: "job losers," who lost a permanent job or had a temporary job come to an end; "job leavers" who quit a job; and "entrants," those entering the labor force for the first time or re-entering it to look for work.

There was a 208,000 increase in job losers in August, the biggest jump recorded since November 2010.

Economists say it's too soon to say this is a sign that the overall economy will start to shed jobs.

"Right now, it's a curiosity and not a good one," said Robert Brusca of FAO Economics. "It' s another sign of concern in this report."

The government report came a day after outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas reported a jump in layoff announcements during August. The 50,000 job cut announcements was up 33% from July. Not all those layoff announcements were implemented in August, though, so the Challenger report could indicate more job losses on the horizon.